What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 10:4? And the LORD wrote on the tablets Deuteronomy 10:4 opens with God Himself acting: “And He wrote on the tablets….” • This reinforces that the Law is not human opinion but divine inscription (Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 9:10). • Because the Author is perfect, what He writes carries absolute authority (Psalm 19:7-9; Matthew 5:18). • The stone tablets picture permanence—His moral will is fixed, not fluid (Isaiah 40:8). what had been written previously • After Israel’s golden-calf rebellion, Moses shattered the first tablets (Exodus 32:19). Yet God graciously reproduced the very same words (Exodus 34:1). • His willingness to rewrite underscores His steadfast covenant love (Exodus 34:6-7), while the identical content highlights that truth is unchanged, even when people fail. the Ten Commandments • These ten words form the core of Israel’s covenant life (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21). • They summarize our duty toward God (commandments 1-4) and toward others (commandments 5-10), a pattern affirmed by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40. • Paul calls the law “holy, righteous, and good” (Romans 7:12), revealing sin and driving us to Christ for salvation (Galatians 3:24). that He had spoken to you on the mountain • Israel heard God’s voice directly at Sinai (Exodus 19:16-19; Deuteronomy 4:10-12). • The written word matches the spoken word, confirming Scripture’s reliability. • Hearing and seeing combine to leave the people without excuse (Hebrews 12:25). out of the fire • The mountain blazed (Exodus 19:18), portraying God’s holiness and consuming purity (Hebrews 12:29). • Fire also signals judgment against sin (Deuteronomy 5:24), urging reverent obedience (1 Peter 1:15-17). on the day of the assembly • All Israel gathered as one (Exodus 19:17; Acts 7:38). • Covenant revelation is communal: holiness is lived out together (Hebrews 10:24-25). • The shared memory binds the nation to corporate faithfulness (Deuteronomy 31:10-13). The LORD gave them to me • Moses receives the tablets as mediator (Exodus 34:29; Deuteronomy 5:22). • God’s word flows through chosen servants, yet its source remains divine (2 Peter 1:21). • Moses prefigures Christ, the greater Mediator who brings grace and truth (John 1:17; Galatians 3:19). summary Deuteronomy 10:4 shows a holy, merciful God restoring His covenant after human failure. He personally rewrites His unchanging commandments, speaks with unmistakable authority, manifests His fiery holiness, gathers His people to hear, and entrusts the tablets to His mediator. The verse reminds us that God’s law is steadfast, His grace is persistent, and His word—spoken, written, and delivered—must shape every facet of our lives today. |
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